This document discusses customer relationship management (CRM) solutions in higher education in India. It provides an overview of the importance of CRM in higher education for establishing relationships with students, alumni, faculty, and staff. The document then describes several popular CRM software solutions used in higher education, including Talisma CRM, Intelliworks CRM, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, SAP CRM, and Oracle PeopleSoft CRM. It explains the key components and benefits of each solution for managing the student lifecycle, communications, recruitment/retention, and institutional operations. In conclusion, the document states that many higher education institutions are implementing CRM solutions to automate operations and focus on building relationships with students and other stakeholders through

1. IOSR Journal of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IOSR-JEEE)
e-ISSN: 2278-1676,p-ISSN: 2320-3331, Volume 11, Issue 2 Ver. II (Mar. – Apr. 2016), PP 14-18
www.iosrjournals.org
DOI: 10.9790/1676-1102021418 www.iosrjournals.org 14 | Page
CRM in Higher Education in India-A Clinical Approach
Dr. Shilpi Singh1
,Dr. Santosh Singhal2
,Charu Agarwal3
1
Professor & Director, Deptt. of Management, Siddhivinayak Group Of College, Alwar
2
Professor, Deptt. of Management, AIAM, Greater Noida
3
Assistant Professor, Deptt. of Management IPEM, Ghaziabad
Abstract: Higher Education has continuously been a matter of discussion from quite sometime.CRM being
implemented in every industry finds its application in higher education system as well. The study aims to discuss
& analyze how well customer relationship management fits in higher education system .The research
methodology used was secondary in nature. Exploratory & Descriptive research design has been made use of
with the review of literature. The findings show that a number of CRM software in the form of solutions to
various problems are being implemented & used by institutes. Focus has been shifted from manual operations
management to automation of such activities and relationship management with all the people concerned are in
the prime focus.
Keywords: Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Education System, CRM Solutions
I. Introduction
CRM in Higher Education in India-A Clinical Approach
CRM consists on a strategy of the organization; it is focused on the efforts of knowing the customers,
detecting their needs, increasing the grade of satisfaction and their loyalty to the enterprise, also raising the
profitability or the benefits of the costumer to the business. All this is made by means of the extracted
information by the customers from the different ways of communication. Customer Relationship management of
CRM is an effective tool that allows us to know our customers better by maintaining their personal information,
knowing about what type of products or services they demand or expect, volume in which they expect, channels
or ways they expect the product should be delivered to them etc. Once the organization knows all the required
information, they will be able to produce customized products vest suited to the needs and demands of the long
list of customers. (www.webandmacros.net)
A central goal of every business is to serve its customers. For as long as there have been merchants,
success or failure has hinged on this simple rule. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a way of using
technology to do just that. (www.wisegeek.com). Education beyond the secondary level, especially education at
the college or university level is higher education
Importance of CRM
Higher education institutions worldwide are undergoing fundamental shift in how they operate and
interact with their customers’, students, Alumni, faculty and staff members.
Kotler and Fox (1995) state, “The best organization in the world will be ineffective if the focus on customer is
lost. First and foremost statement of individual student, alumni, parents, friends and each other (internal
customers). Every contact counts!”
Today’s customer in changing environment requires customer centric approach. Customer centricity in
higher education emphasizes plaung the customer at the core of operation and then designing all the process and
activities around the customer. CRM applications targeted at higher education allow institutions to build strong
relationship with students and other constituents, its technologies enable an education industry to present a
single point of contact to its customers.The main components of any CRM solution are Campaign Management,
automation of operations and Customer service and support. ( Shainesh & Sheth, Trivedi B Uday). Higher
education customers are demanding more attention and immediate service through internet. Institutes manage
students from enquiry through application to enrollment with one CRM system. it build relationships through
cross media communication and increases efficiency and track results. It is also helpful in maximizing budget by
doing more with less.
CRM enables the creation of an effective strategy for an Institution to differentiate itself by establishing
relationship and gathering data to build those relationships through focused use of Business analysis. It uses
various methods to bring students into a relationship with the institution. (www.oppapers.com)

2. CRM in Higher Education in India-A Clinical Approach
DOI: 10.9790/1676-1102021418 www.iosrjournals.org 15 | Page
CRM Solutions for Higher Education
It was explored by the review of literature that CRM encompasses many strategies, processes and
technologies all working together to get as close to the customer. CRM solutions are built to:
 Aid in building profitable, mutually beneficial and long term relationship with customer.
 Interact with the customer so as to get closer to them at every point of contact.
 Maximize the organization’s share of the customer wallet.
The aim of E-CRM solutions is to optimize the combined use of technology and human resources of
the business so as to gain insight into the behavior of the customer. CRM solution services consist of the
following major segments:
 Consulting Services
 Implementation Services
 Outsourcing
 Training Services (Dawn Suman & Guha Anindya; 2010)
CRM solutions have proliferated in the market with many CRM vendors offering a wide variety and
range of products. These products come with various functionalities and support different operations of higher
education industry. Most popular and useful CRM solutions in higher education sector are:
II. Talishma CRM
Talisma’s Constituent Relationship Management software for Higher Education is composed of three
powerful integrated solutions: Talisma Strategic Enrollment Management, Talisma Student Services, and
Talisma Advancement. Talisma helps institutions enhance their recruiting and retention, improve services to
students and alumni, and make informed decisions on future strategies using the data and communication
history captured and tracked by the Talism technology.
Institutes using Talisma CRM can:
 Stay competitive and achieve recruiting and retention goals.
 Pinpoint the source of most qualified candidates.
 Create highly targeted campaigns.
 Retain students through e-advising.
Delivery on demand services from students’ application, financial aid and degree adults to alumni
relations and advancement.
Talisma provides best-in-class, flexible, and affordable CRM software, which enables Customer
Lifecycle Management across sales, service, and marketing functions, and powers organizations to quickly,
effectively, and accurately communicate with customers using a multichannel communication strategy. With
Talisma’s expertise, thousands of customers across different verticals have accelerated their growth by creating
personalized experiences with their clients. (www.talishma.com)
III. Intelliworks CRM
Intelli-works enables enrollment and admissions professionals to make purposeful connections with
students through its Web-based relationship management, marketing and recruitment services. Leading
institutions around the globe leverage Intelliworks’ relationship management solutions for higher education to
increase enrollment, enhance marketing performance and improve operational efficiency. It offers a suite of
strategic consulting, support and training and professional services designed to help colleges and universities
maximize their return on investment and generate results. (www.intelliworks.com).
IV. Microsoft Dynamics CRM
With the recent funding issues for Higher Education Institutions competition will increase between
institutions. CRM is vital for Institutions sustainability in attracting the best students.
A tailored Microsoft Dynamics CRM solution for Universities and Higher Education from
Pythagoras enables excellence in some of the areas listed below:
Student Management
Microsoft Dynamics CRM from Pythagoras gives the power to proactively manage the students
throughout the whole student life cycle; from initial open day registrations, course management, clubs and
societies, awards and scholarships gained to full Alumni management.

3. CRM in Higher Education in India-A Clinical Approach
DOI: 10.9790/1676-1102021418 www.iosrjournals.org 16 | Page
Advanced Alumni Communication
Microsoft Dynamics CRM from Pythagoras for Universities and Higher Education allows advanced
Alumni communication; the powerful reporting and drilling down capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics CRM
allows Higher Education Institutions to monitor student trends pre, during and post graduation while the
marketing elements of Microsoft Dynamics CRM enables improved targeting, communications and alumni
retention post graduation.
Improved Internal and External Communications
The workflow system within Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Universities and Higher Education allows
cross-communications between faculties and staff to be improved and tracked within the CRM system.
Furthermore, the workflows created within the system for staff members vastly improves productivity and
streamlines business processes.
Externally, Microsoft Dynamics CRM makes full use of the seamless integration with Microsoft Office; the
powerful marketing and mail merge capabilities allow direct marketing materials and email communications to
be targeted and timely. (www.pythagoras.com)
V. SAP CRM
SAP CRM brings a world leading CRM solutions to the higher education sector with students life cycle
management. It enables marketers with complete business insights to as to facilitate intelligent business
decisions. It reduces the cost of service by enhancing customer satisfaction with support of ancillary services.
Following are the constituents of SAP CRM:
 Partner channel Management:
Partners here are the various people who are associated with the Institute in some or the other manner.
CRM helps to build and sustain healthy relations with all the people associated.
 Interaction centre:
In education industry interactive sessions could be in the form of online Group discussion and Interview.
Also, online classes are arranged for students engaged in DLP courses.
 Web channel:
Virtual presence of the Institute on the web gives flexibility to students as well as everybody who want to
utilize any type of information at any point of time.
 Business communication Management
Communication on a regular basis with all the associated people is very important and it finds its major
application in CRM. Networking plays a very important role. (www.ciber.co.uk)
VI. People Soft CRM
PeopleSoft CRM for Higher Education will allow colleges and universities to ensure consistent
communications that are tailored to the student and can be supported throughout the student lifecycle and across
multiple communication channels, from initial inquiry, through application and enrollment, to providing support
to current student populations and communicating with alumni. It is providing a centralized one stop shop
institution wide service solution. With the solution institutes can differentiate them with an outstanding service
experience, reduce the cost to serve with streamlined service delivery processes and prebuilt integration and
ultimately leverage the positive service interaction to improve higher education institution’s brand and retain
constituents and employees.
Benefits:
Manage entire constituent lifecycle
 Establish and strengthen relationships through the constituent lifecycle to keep them involved.
 Personalize communications by leveraging real-time information integrated between systems
 Provide a seamless interface for enhanced user experience and improved Productivity.
Maximize recruiting effectiveness
 Deepen knowledge of individual needs and interests through interactive communications Leverage multiple
message channels to grow prospect interest Produce more qualified candidates with personalized survey
and inquiry management

4. CRM in Higher Education in India-A Clinical Approach
DOI: 10.9790/1676-1102021418 www.iosrjournals.org 17 | Page
Improve retention rates
Provide better access and information through the integrated, 24/7 constituent service center. Deliver
faster issue resolution with seamless information flow between systems Proactively identify at-risk students for
immediate action and issue resolution.
Oracle's PeopleSoft CRM 9.1 release for Higher Education provides colleges and universities with new
and enhanced capabilities and delivers the tools and technology they need to develop and manage successful,
high-value relationships with all their constituents. New features include:
 Out-of-the box integration with Campus Solutions.
 Comprehensive event planning, management, and results analysis.
 Service center for higher education.
 Constituent 360-degree view. (download.oracle.com)
CRM has emerged as the most important element in all the sectors. Education services also are not
apart from it. The growth in the craze and demand of higher & professional education led to the ever increasing
growth in the number of institutes offering professional education which in turn led to the emergence of CRM.
CRM in higher & professional education starts at the time when a prospect seek to be a member of a institute &
it continues till the time the prospect become the alumni.CRM serves two way purpose. On one side it creates a
strong bonding between the prospect &the institute which would be beneficial in many forms like recognition to
be alumni. Secondly, from the institutes’ point of view it helps in maintaining the database which would further
help in placements &promotion of the institute.
CRM not only benefits the institutes but it also helps in maintaining healthy relations with the faculty
& staff. All the people working in the organization are important asset to it ;so the organization tries to build &
sustain healthy relation with all of them. In this new era of information technology demand for automated
delivery of services has increased a cot. Online applications are invited & accepted & recruitments are also done
online.
Maintaining such a huge amount of data manually is not possible. But keeping all the records online
helps the institute to maintain relations with
Faculty / staff; existing students, alumni’s & governing bodies as well. Online maintenance of books & records
also helps in maintaining budget of the organization as well. This also helps to reveal that at what time institute
is in need of funds &from where funds have to be raised.
CRM building with the students could also be in the form of providing notes to them online. This has
also been seen now-a-days in many distances learning progammes related to higher education where the
students submit their assignment online; give exam papers online & papers are also evaluated online. To assist
or to guide the students queries of the students are solved through online lectures & demonstration.
Rapid growth of technology has revolutionized the whole scenario in the education system. It has provided that
level of flexibility to the students that they don’t have to move to far off places to update their knowledge .Once
they get registered in a course all the queries are solved by the simple click of a mouse. Symbiosis Pune could
be one example in this category. They maintain a very high level of CRM with their enrolled students.
VII. Conclusion
Institutes aspiring to establish a brand name take CRM as an opportunity to recruit and retain the most
desirable students. In this era of Information technology Institutes need to adopt practices that enable them to
consistently interact with their stakeholders in a highly personalized manner. CRM in higher education implies
application of methodology and software’s with the help of which Institutes also focus to increase their
conversion ratios from prospect to enrollment.
Many higher education Institutes are now focusing on restructuring with the help of cost cutting. To
achieve this ERP applications are employed to automate internal business processes like finance, Grants
management, student’s information, inventory Management and HR. focus is being shifted from improving
internal operations to concentrate more on students, Alumni and corporations. To automate the operations and
focus on students CRM solutions are implemented so that flexibility and ease could be provided to them at each
step.
a

5. CRM in Higher Education in India-A Clinical Approach
DOI: 10.9790/1676-1102021418 www.iosrjournals.org 18 | Page
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